


I've Taken a Lichen to You

by cosmic_llin



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Botany, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 04:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11889711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/pseuds/cosmic_llin
Summary: It's definitely an away mission, not a date.Or, Keiko and Beverly are plant nerd girlfriends.





	I've Taken a Lichen to You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ericine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ericine/gifts).



> For reflectingiridescent.
> 
> (Miles and Keiko have an open marriage in this, hope it's ok!)

Keiko generally tried not to mix work with recreation if at all possible, but Beverly had sounded so excited at the idea of tagging along on the away team. Keiko had mentioned the mission over dinner, and Beverly had spent the next half hour asking non-stop questions. Their relationship was new enough that Keiko wasn’t yet immune to Beverly’s puppy-dog eyes, and in spite of the fact that Beverly hadn’t actually _asked_ , she’d found herself offering. Beverly had jumped at the chance.

Keiko was pretty excited herself – the Enterprise had spent so much time recently on diplomatic and humanitarian missions that it had been months since the botany staff had been able to log some time planetside. There were plenty of other projects to work on – keeping the arboretum ticking over, running experiments in the lab, reading reports from the botany teams on other ships – but there was just something about field work that you couldn’t find anywhere else. She’d had so many eager volunteers for the mission that she’d had to schedule two shifts.

She and Beverly were going in the first group. Beverly, dressed for the outdoors and laden with gear, her hair in a sensible braid, came and picked her up from her quarters so that they could walk to the transporter room together.

‘Enjoy your date!’ Miles teased, as Keiko pulled on her boots and tied back her own hair.

‘Miles,’ she said, blushing. ‘It’s an away mission.’

He smirked. ‘It looks like a date.’

‘The fact that we are dat _ing_ ,’ said Beverly, as they left, ‘doesn’t make it a date. This planet is so rich in plant life that I doubt we’ll have time for anything but exploring it.’

‘Enjoy your away mission, then,’ he said, cheerfully waving them off.

‘The initial scans showed a variety of mosses that I think you’ll be interested in,’ said Keiko, as they walked to the transporter room.

And in spite of the fact that this was strictly a work trip and not a date, she did allow herself a moment to enjoy the way Beverly’s eyes lit up.

They talked about moss all the way to the transporter room, where Keiko broke off to give the assembled team a quick mission briefing before they beamed down into a grassy clearing.

‘Remember,’ she said, as the eager botanists prepared to scatter, ‘safety first. I want everyone coming back with all of their appendages and sensory organs intact, okay? Stay in your pairs and scan before you touch.’

There was a chorus of ‘Yes, Professor O’Brien!’, already fading into the distance.

Keiko grinned. ‘I have to pretend to my more experienced staff that the warnings are for the kids, but honestly, the youngest team members are the most careful. It’s the ones who get complacent who end up in Sickbay.’

‘You know,’ laughed Beverly, ‘based on my observations I’d say that’s probably true for just about every department on the ship.’

The two of them fell in step, making their way towards a promising-looking stand of trees.

* * *

This was definitely an away mission and not a date, but the warm sunshine and the gentle walking between sites of interest was very nice. A few times Keiko found herself reaching to take Beverly’s hand, or stroll arm in arm like they did when they spent evenings in the arboretum, but she kept remembering just in time that they were supposed to be working, not having fun.

Of course, it was difficult to distinguish between the two when your job _was_ so much fun. And when you spent most of your dates talking about plants anyway.

‘Let’s go up there,’ said Beverly. ‘I bet there’s a terrific view.’

Keiko looked where she was pointing, at the hill rising ahead of them. It did look as though a lot of the surrounding area would be visible from the top of it.

‘Good plan,’ she said. ‘Get an idea of what else is around here.’

The hill wasn’t too steep, and they were able to make their way up without too much difficulty. They talked as they walked about their findings so far, and not for the first time Keiko was filled with gratitude that she’d found someone to date who not only loved plants, but could talk about them for as long as she could. Of course, Keiko thought as she watched Beverly jump lightly over a stream and glance back to check Keiko was following, her easy grace and her captivating smile didn’t hurt either.

‘Oh, look!’ Beverly called, and Keiko hurried to catch up with her. ‘Are those lichens?’

Keiko peered at the spot Beverly was pointing to – a narrow outcropping that hung over a deep hole that might once have been part of a river bed.

‘They do seem to be…’ said Keiko.

‘Oh,’ said Beverly, spotting the chasm that she seemed to have missed in her enthusiasm. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t get too near, it looks like a long way down…’

Her voice was light, but Keiko could tell she was hiding disappointment.

‘Nonsense,’ she said. ‘We may not be able to get up close but I can at least take a scan.’ She took out her tricorder and dropped to the ground to crawl onto the outcropping. Beverly crouched nervously on safer ground while Keiko made her scans.

‘This reminds me of a paper I read recently…’ Keiko said, over her shoulder. ‘I wish I could remember exactly what it was…’

‘The one about the swamp-forest of Adeilim Five?’ Beverly asked.

‘That’s exactly the one!’ said Keiko. ‘Maybe we can write to the authors of that paper, see if we can get some of that lichen and compare it to this one.’

‘Shame we can’t get a sample.’

‘We almost could! It seems silly, I’m so close to being able to reach. Maybe if you hold onto me I can lean out a little further, just enough to grab a bit?’

‘Are you sure?’ Beverly asked dubiously.

‘It’ll be fine,’ said Keiko.

Beverly hooked her fingers through the belt loops of Keiko’s pants, and braced herself. ‘Ready,’ she said.

Keiko shuffled forward, stretched out, and suddenly the ground was falling away beneath them in a rush. Keiko heard her own squeak of surprise, and then the thud as she hit the bottom, reverberating through her like she was hearing it with her whole body. Everything went fuzzy.

* * *

‘Keiko? Keiko!’ Beverly was saying, urgently.

‘Whazzit?’ Keiko asked.

‘Keiko,’ said Beverly again. ‘Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?’

There was a beeping that Keiko slowly recognised as the sound of a medical tricorder. She opened her eyes to see Beverly’s look of concern as she scanned her.

‘I… I’m not sure.’ Keiko flexed her fingers, then her toes, then moved her arms and legs experimentally. ‘I don’t think so? Ow…’

She lifted her fingers to her cheek, and they came away bloody.

‘It’s a nasty scrape,’ said Beverly, ‘but it’s not dangerous. It looks as though we’re both just bruised, and you were a little stunned by the fall, but I don’t think either of us is seriously hurt. Let’s see if we can’t get back to Sickbay and I can get a proper look at your face. Crusher to Enterprise…’

Her combadge made a dead-sounding chirp.

‘Crusher to any member of the away team…’

The same sound.

Keiko looked around, at the steep, smooth walls of the hole they’d fallen into. ‘I don’t suppose you brought any climbing equipment?’ she asked.

‘Unfortunately not,’ said Beverly. ‘But I’m sure someone will come along and pick us up soon. Come here, let me take a look at that scrape.’

Keiko shuffled closer. Beverly took her chin gently and tilted her face towards the light that filtered in weakly from above them.

‘We threw up a lot of dust, falling down here,’ she said. ‘I’ll need to clean this out. It’ll sting a little, I’m sorry.’

Keiko hissed but didn’t protest as Beverly worked. She cleaned the wound carefully, then ran the dermal regenerator over it. Keiko’s face tingled as the scrape healed itself, leaving her a little light-headed.

‘There, all better,’ said Beverly, and she kissed Keiko’s cheek softly. She took a ration bar from somewhere in her pack and handed it to Keiko. ‘You’d better eat something – dermal regeneration uses up your body’s resources.’

Keiko did feel suddenly ravenous. She climbed to sit next to Beverly, leaning against her, and ate her ration bar. Beverly slid an arm around her, and Keiko snuggled closer to her warmth.

‘I thought this was an away mission, not a date?’ Beverly teased.

‘Exceptional circumstances,’ said Keiko. ‘Plus, it’s chilly down here.’

‘I can think of a few ways to warm up,’ Beverly teased, and when Keiko looked up to grin at her, she kissed her, slow and soft, and pulled her into her lap. Keiko wrapped her arms around Beverly and kissed her back, suddenly full of energy again. She held her tighter to enjoy the feel of Beverly’s body pressing against her own.

Beverly squeaked. ‘Your tricorder…’ she gasped. ‘It’s digging into my side!’

Laughing, Keiko rolled Beverly onto her back, leaning over her. Then something in the darkness caught her eye.

‘What?’ Beverly asked. ‘What is it?’

‘There’s plant life down here,’ Keiko said. ‘Oh… I’m sorry Beverly, it’s not that I’m not enjoying myself…’

‘What sort of plant life?’ Beverly asked, sitting up. ‘Should we do some scans? Since we’re stuck down here anyway…’

Keiko grinned. ‘You know,’ she said, ‘most couples trapped in a hole for what could be hours might not actually want to get any work done…’

‘Then it’s a good thing we’re not most couples,’ said Beverly. ‘Come on, let’s take a look!’

Even in the dim light, Keiko could see Beverly’s face alive with enthusiasm. She was right. There would be plenty of time for romance later – right now there was botany to do. She grinned, activated her tricorder, and followed Beverly.


End file.
